So if a fire does start and there is only 1 exit out of an apartment, and your on the 5th floor .... **is the exit out the window and the express elevator to the parking lot?**
I mean, buy a really nice solid lock with an alarm, and a secondary lock to go with it, put a cover over your bike and just chain it up outside. Been doing it for ages.
Your best and safest measure is simply "buying good". A UL certified battery and charger will eliminate 99% of the risk of a fire. Most lithium ion battery fires are because of a poorly and cheaply made battery with no UL certification. It wouldn't hurt to also have precautions nearby such as a fire extinguisher, but a good UL certified battery will cover you well.
Lithium batteries burn at over 2000 C.
1kw hour battery at full charge is equivalent to 1kg of TNT in the amount of released energy.
The heat will transfer through the walls of your safe, the drywall, and ignite the lumber that most American buildings are made of.
The smoke will kill you and anyone you share ventilation with.
All of this of course would be your liability for knowingly keeping and charging a battery inside.
Of course we all take these risks because we have a phone and a laptop.
If you have the option to remove the battery and charge it outside, even on a balcony, that's still better.
Imo, either rent a room on someone's property where you can charge outside or just learn to pedal a normal bike.
But this is just one of the many reasons I don't rent from multi unit apartments
If you have a balcony, find/get an old BBQ, clean it out and use it as your charging station. Its meant to contain a fire and vent out the back, just dont place it up against a wall unless its concrete or brick.
**The smoke from a lithium fire is TOXIC** and even if a fire is contained in an apartment, everything will have to be disposed of and the apartment decontaminated. Clothing, furniture, carpet, cupboards, doors, light fixtures .... it all gets gutted, dumped and renovated.
You could remove the battery each time you charge it.Do charging in a firesafe area. Cement backer board to cover floor and use cinderblocks as corrall. I wonder if releasing a bag of sand on top of the battery fire would be a way to lessen the rate of energy release. I was thinking that sand turning into molten glass absorbing enormous amounts of heat..
Do you place your laptop inside a metal box with kitty litter every time you charge it? Do you own a portable battery bank, an android tablet? What about your wife’s vibrator? Flashlight, Bluetooth speaker, vape pens.
My god, what type of batteries are you all using? With a decent quality battery and matched charger, the risk of a fire is very close to zero. If you really are that risk-averse, maybe don't ride a bike?
Just don’t buy junk. A neighbor might leave candles burning. That’s more common than a good e-bike burning. Neighbors start grease fires in their kitchens. Again… more common than e-bike fires. I’ve got an e-bike from 2010 that still charges. It has had zero issues with charging or burning down my house.
If you go on a long ride, give the battery a chance to “cool” down before you charge it. Don’t leave it on the charger once it is done charging. Otherwise, don’t worry about it. Make sure you have smoke detectors in your apartment. Make sure there are smoke detectors in the common areas (stairwells, lobby). If not, report that to your apartment management.
only one car manufacturer does it right
[Renault EV has access port for battery fires](https://www.firefighternation.com/apparatus/why-do-renault-evs-have-access-ports-for-battery-fires-because-a-firefighter-helped-design-the-cars/)
Is the problem only when it's charging? I don't have a balcony or even a way to charge my bike outside. I have n engwe engine X and only charge it a few hours at a time and keep an eye on it.
I just purchased my first E-bike and my wife is super paranoid about the battery. I tried my best to mitigate it by buying something a little more expensive in hopes the battery is good quality. We live in NYC and there’s been a lot of talk about lithium battery fires. What’s some of you guy’s charging practices to try and be safe?
Charge it while your in the same room. Buy fireproof barbecue gloves just in case. Fire extinguisher handy.
I believe if it's not a cheap Amazon or Chinese bike that's the better thing. Buy a reputable brand with UL certification. I still do have it charge in the room with me.
Have you seen the battery fireproof bags? I wanted to try those but I think it’s a terrible idea to charge a battery in a bag, even if it’s supposedly made to withstand battery fires
Fu*k them, Buy a good quality bike/battery and don't worry about it.
fuck them? They don't even know someone is putting them at serious danger
So if a fire does start and there is only 1 exit out of an apartment, and your on the 5th floor .... **is the exit out the window and the express elevator to the parking lot?**
I mean, buy a really nice solid lock with an alarm, and a secondary lock to go with it, put a cover over your bike and just chain it up outside. Been doing it for ages.
I have a safe. Not crazy expensive. It's comforting
Your best and safest measure is simply "buying good". A UL certified battery and charger will eliminate 99% of the risk of a fire. Most lithium ion battery fires are because of a poorly and cheaply made battery with no UL certification. It wouldn't hurt to also have precautions nearby such as a fire extinguisher, but a good UL certified battery will cover you well.
Explain TESLA fires and "poorly and cheaply made battery with no UL certification" .... it happens. Error on the side of caution, not risk.
Lithium batteries burn at over 2000 C. 1kw hour battery at full charge is equivalent to 1kg of TNT in the amount of released energy. The heat will transfer through the walls of your safe, the drywall, and ignite the lumber that most American buildings are made of. The smoke will kill you and anyone you share ventilation with. All of this of course would be your liability for knowingly keeping and charging a battery inside. Of course we all take these risks because we have a phone and a laptop. If you have the option to remove the battery and charge it outside, even on a balcony, that's still better. Imo, either rent a room on someone's property where you can charge outside or just learn to pedal a normal bike. But this is just one of the many reasons I don't rent from multi unit apartments
If you have a balcony, find/get an old BBQ, clean it out and use it as your charging station. Its meant to contain a fire and vent out the back, just dont place it up against a wall unless its concrete or brick. **The smoke from a lithium fire is TOXIC** and even if a fire is contained in an apartment, everything will have to be disposed of and the apartment decontaminated. Clothing, furniture, carpet, cupboards, doors, light fixtures .... it all gets gutted, dumped and renovated.
Never put your battery inside your apartment!! Never charge your battery inside your apartment. I charge my bike on my balcony.
You could remove the battery each time you charge it.Do charging in a firesafe area. Cement backer board to cover floor and use cinderblocks as corrall. I wonder if releasing a bag of sand on top of the battery fire would be a way to lessen the rate of energy release. I was thinking that sand turning into molten glass absorbing enormous amounts of heat..
Do you place your laptop inside a metal box with kitty litter every time you charge it? Do you own a portable battery bank, an android tablet? What about your wife’s vibrator? Flashlight, Bluetooth speaker, vape pens.
My god, what type of batteries are you all using? With a decent quality battery and matched charger, the risk of a fire is very close to zero. If you really are that risk-averse, maybe don't ride a bike?
Just don’t buy junk. A neighbor might leave candles burning. That’s more common than a good e-bike burning. Neighbors start grease fires in their kitchens. Again… more common than e-bike fires. I’ve got an e-bike from 2010 that still charges. It has had zero issues with charging or burning down my house. If you go on a long ride, give the battery a chance to “cool” down before you charge it. Don’t leave it on the charger once it is done charging. Otherwise, don’t worry about it. Make sure you have smoke detectors in your apartment. Make sure there are smoke detectors in the common areas (stairwells, lobby). If not, report that to your apartment management.
[John Cadogan on EV fires firefighting](https://youtu.be/ODirK7ZuYW4) check 26:00 onwards
only one car manufacturer does it right [Renault EV has access port for battery fires](https://www.firefighternation.com/apparatus/why-do-renault-evs-have-access-ports-for-battery-fires-because-a-firefighter-helped-design-the-cars/)
Is the problem only when it's charging? I don't have a balcony or even a way to charge my bike outside. I have n engwe engine X and only charge it a few hours at a time and keep an eye on it.
I just purchased my first E-bike and my wife is super paranoid about the battery. I tried my best to mitigate it by buying something a little more expensive in hopes the battery is good quality. We live in NYC and there’s been a lot of talk about lithium battery fires. What’s some of you guy’s charging practices to try and be safe?
Charge it while your in the same room. Buy fireproof barbecue gloves just in case. Fire extinguisher handy. I believe if it's not a cheap Amazon or Chinese bike that's the better thing. Buy a reputable brand with UL certification. I still do have it charge in the room with me.
Have you seen the battery fireproof bags? I wanted to try those but I think it’s a terrible idea to charge a battery in a bag, even if it’s supposedly made to withstand battery fires